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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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(BY G:' (BUS SELL 0H(BIS9:iAJf. 

HUNTINGTON: 
PRINTED AT THE NEWS JOB RO 




1884. K'^'JhiM 



2. 






COPYRIGHTED 1882 BY " 

a RUSSELL CHPiISTIAM. 



3. 



ID3E!I>I0u3LTIO3?!ar 



TO- 



Dr. V7. P. BRYAN, 



Dear Sir :— It is with considerable solicitude tlmt I offer a 
second volume to the public. And if I am unsuccessful in 
m\" attempt to add something to the literature of the day I 
shall at least have the consolation of having been urged to the 
task by one so worthy as yourself. After mature deliberation 
as to the extreme consequences of my rashness, I throw mj^self 
upon the tide and cry in the language of m}^ great ideal — 
"Prepare for rhyme ! I'll publish right or wrong ! 

I have ventured in the present instance to couple your name 
with my own. And if this Stone shall only roll awhile and 
then stop — probably in a mad attempt to roll up hill — let the 
blame rest on the mason who shaped its parts. But if on the 
contrary it increases its speed with time, and bears its burden 
of song to other years, let the honor bolong to him whose wis- 
dom dictated the subject of its proudest inscription. 

Very respectfully yours. 

C. Russell Christian. 
Guyandotte, W. Va., May 19. 1884. 



1 Siii f i gfgiigii. 

THE BUILDING OF THE SHIP. 

LIBERTY BELL. 

ACROSS THE RAPPAHANNOCK. 

TOUCH IT NOT. 

THE WRECK OF YOUTH. 

EPITAPH. 



THES 



•-^BlIlLDI]\[Q*>OF^ 1^Et>glilP.# 



I. 
Awake — O Hand! — and strike the Lyre 
To notes of love for deeds of fire ! 
Awake — Lyre ! — and fling the song 
To every breeze that floats along ! 
Awake — Heart! — inspire the strains 
To sing the Union's birth and pains ! 
Awake — Earth !- -and hear at last 
A song unheard throughout the Past ! 
Awake ! — let every living soul 
Attest the Union grand and whole ! 

IL 

Full well we know — ship of State ! — 
Why thou art held so doubly great ; 
Thy builders were our valiant Sires 
Who felt the glow of Freedom's fires 
And rushed into the wilds of earth 
To rear thy glory and thy worth ; 



THE ROLLING STONE. 



^Vn*:! tlpj.s thi'ou'^'h nianv darksonie years 
Poured out their blood -^.nd poured their tears 
And worked in spite of doubts and fears. 
And when the niight}^ work was done, 
And Freedom's battles fought and won, 
The craft was launched upon the sea 
Of dark and broad Futurity ; 
And straight the Russian serf — unchained — 
Fled from the land where czars had reigned ; 
The German left his half-pruned vine, 
And fled for aye the lordly Rhine ; 
The Switzer gave a parting glance 
To heights where Freedom broke her lance ; 
The Spaniard tamed his thirst for gold, 
And on the swelling vortex rolled ; 
The English peasant fled his lord! 
The Gallic warrior dropped his sword ; 
And Greek — and Turk — Italian too — 
And Scot — and Dane — and all who knew — 
And Irishmen who love to die 
Beneath the arch of Freedom's sky — 
All — all — and thousand thousands more 
Struck for the bright Columbian shore, 
Took refuge on the ship of State — 
The ship ot Union — grand and great. 

III. 



But ere this mighty craft, was built 
Full many a tear of blood was spilt, 



THE BUILDING OF TIIP;: SHIP. 



And Innocence trod down by Guilt; 

For he who does a deed of worth 

Must bear the mocker}^ of the earth ! 

But when the time for Freedom's birth 

Was fully come — it came at last, 

And with the Present shamed the Past — 

The long-remembered workers came 

With hearts of fire and tongues of flame. 

To build the vasty ship of State — 

The ship of Union — grand and great. 

And so the workers set to work ; 

And some were Christian — some were Turk — 

And some there were who knew no faith 

Of good or ill beyond the Death ! 

The first who came knew how to kill, 

But knew no more, — had perfect skill 

In tearing dowar, but never could 

In setting up do any good. 

Of these thy name is ever first, 

Immortal Jefferson ! — the worst 

Destroyer known — or chief or sage — 

The arch-Destroyer of the age. 

'Twas thiire to teach the rising land 

The magic of the imperial wand, 

And speak the long-expected word, 

And with the goose-quill smite the Sword ; 

'Twas done ; thy work was done —how well, 



8. THE ROLLING STONE. 

Let future generations tell 
Who hold thy Declaration still 
The greatest work of human skill. 
And Paine and Henry too were found 
Re-doubling havoc far around — 
Wherever these Destro3^ers went 
They slung the ax with fierce intent, 
Slew good and ill and left the land 
A ruined wreck on either hand. 

IV. 

And from this wreck of ages past 
The might}^ Builders came at last 
To build the vasty ship of State - 
The ship of Union — grand and great. 
Of these — the Builders — who shall stand 
To shape the work of all the band? 
Who holds the First-Mechanic's place 
To give the vessel strength and grace? 
'Tis he — 't is Hamilton ! — the Sage — 
Soul of the Washingtonian age — 
The lamp of Law in peace and war — 
And Freedom's blazing Morning-Star — 
'Twas Hamiltonian genius gave 
The vessel power to stem the wave 
Upon the rugged seas which lave 
The shores of isles where dwell the brave 




THE BUILDING OF THE SHIP. 



Who love the free but scorn the slave. 
And thus the building was begun — 
The grandest ship beneath the Sun ; 
Where'er they found a tree of worth 
They hewed the shaft and hauled it forth, 
But left all others strewn around 
To fertilize the mellow ground. 

V. 

They built the keel of Freedom-wood 

Which Paine had slaughterd with the brood 

Of noxious trees which round it stood ; 

For Paine — whatever may be said 

In honor of the illustrious dead — 

While dealing Superstition dole 

Threw down this bulwark of the Soul ; 

From this a lesson may be learned — 

A lesson which the Past has earned — 

The Freedom -tree is man's estate ; 

It will not yield itself to Fate ; 

If felled along the unwilling earth 

Its trunk is still a source of worth, 

While from its roots shall burst again 

A shelter for the sons of men. 

The central mast was said to be 

Hewn from a tall-grown Union -tree 

Which Jefferson had felled to earth 



10. THE ROLLING STONE. 

And passed as having little worth ! 

A Union -tree — the only one 

Which ever grew beneath the Sun ! 

The decks were Truth wood — as ye see — 

Tlie rudder was a Justice-tiee — 

LTpon the sails was hoisted then 

The 'Teace on earth, good-will to men !' 

'Tis done ; the mighty work is o'er 

And resting on the Eastern shore — 

'Tis done; she's launched upon the sea 

Of dark and broad Futurity — 

Blow fair, thou ever-shifting breeze ! 

And waft her o'er the waves at ease ! 

Sail on, thou vast}^ ship of State! 

And bards thy story shall relate ! 

'Tis done ; the breeze still bears her on — 

And on — and on — and on — and on ! 

But Where's the First-Mechanic gone ? — 

The first — the last — the best — the One ? 

The mighty genius which could rear 

This structure in the desert here ? 

Yea Where's the voice that taught our Sires 

To fan the flames of Freedom's fires 

And rush into the wilds of earth 

To rear the mighty Union's worth 

And mark her era and her birth ? 



n 



THE BUILDING OF THE SHIP. 11. 



VI. 

Awake — Hand ! — and smite the Lyre ! 
Change notes of love to notes of fire ! 
Awake-— Lyre ! — and flinoj the song 
To all of boasted Honor's throng ! 
Avviike — Heart! — inspire the strains 
To sing of Freedom's galling chains 
Awake — Earth ! — and hear at last 
A curse resounding through the Past 
Awake ! — let every living soul 
Now deal the code of Honor dole! 
[Feb. 1884.] 



IS 

is! 

I 



12. THE ROLLING STONE. 

:0: 

The aged bell-man sat aloft, 
Revolving in his soul full oft 
The varied fortunes of the band 
Warring for his native land. 

While in the rugged hall of State 
The new-born Congress proudly sate 
Advising in the face of Death 
Freedom or the open heath. 

Ev'n as the Sun with kindling light 
Dispels the horrid dark of Night, 
So Freedom when her time had come 
Claimed her own Columbian home. 

The great assembly gave the word 
That broke the reign of George the Third ; 
And thousand Ages paled before 
Sights they had not seen of yore. 

"Ring! ring!" the small boy shouted forth; 
The grand evangel shook the earth I 



LIBERTY BELL. lo. 



And shouts of Freedom broke upon 
Yankee snows and Dixie's sun. 

And friendly gods beheld the sight 
Of Freedom's Eagle bathed in light; 
And voices cried from out the Past, 
"Ye shall have reward at last!" 

And sires would view their children's corse, 
And think of George— and think of worse- 
And shout with their expiring breath, 
"Give me Liberty or death!" 

'[Jan. 19, 1884.] 



14. 



ACSOSS THE KAPPAIANNOGK. 



Between the camps of Blue and Gray 
The Rappahannock rolled away; 
Full in the view of cither's face 
The warriors of each anxious race 
Paraded to the fierce alarms 
Of music and the shock of arms 
Across the Rappahannock. 

Rebellion's Dixie soared aloft 
In accents never heard too oft; 
The Union struck her notes of cheer — 
The Spangled Banner — loud and clear; 
Such were the notes that floated o'er — 
O may they never do it more ! — 
Across the Rappahannock. 

And one with heart of purer ring 
Of Home Sweet Home began to sing; 
All hearts were turned to earlier years — 
All eyes were filled with bursting tears — 
And Blue and Gray the chorus sang 
Until the sacred music rang 
Across the Rappahannock ! 
[Jan. 23, 1884.] 



15. 



-^^foifejif-rf^^jNloi'.-i^^ 



I. 

Who sues to Alcohol as King? 

Touch it not! 
Who dallies with his mortal sting? 

Touch it not! 
Long shall ho weep a flood of tears 
And curse this bane of ancient Years 
Where'er his odious throne appears? 

Touch it not! 
Or tongue blasphemous frights his ears? 

Touch it not ! 

II. 

I heard the voice of ancient Truth — 

Touch it not ! 
It scorns this living foe of Youth ! 

Touch it not ! 
Around the throne ol Ages stood 
A specter wrapped in tears and blood. 
And scattered fojth a fiery flood — 

Touch it not ! 
A sateless foe of human good ! 

Touch it not 1 



16. THE ROLLING STONE. 



Ill, ■ 

Once in Ins power all Virtue flies — 

Touch it not! 
Drink but on Health and Reason dies 1 

Touch it not ! 
The bane that overhangs our race 
Far gleaming from his ghastly face — 
What tongue — what pen shall dare to trace ? 

Touch it not ! 
His strict companion is disgrace! 

Touch it not! 

IV. 
He often counterfeits his name — 

Touch it not ! 
And yet 'tis Alcohol the same ! 

Touch it not ! 
He greets the laborer with a smile — j 

To invalids he preaches guile, 
And overcomes by subtle wile ! ,\ 

Touch it not ! 
His pleasures only last awhile ! 

Touch it not ! 

V. 
A Byron lost his freedom there ! 

Touch it not ! 
A PoE expired beneath his care ! 



TOUCH IT NOT. 17. 

Touch it not ! 
Amid the stranded wrecks of Time 
Who stands conspicuous most for crime 
Still bears his forehead-brand sublime — 

Touch it not ! 
And yet his praise is sung in rhyme ! 

Touch it not ! 

VI. 

Who rises on the scale of Thought ? 

Touch it not ! 
By whom are mightiest battles fought ? 

Touch it not ! 
'Tis those who stand devoid of fear 
And hurl defiance year on year, 
And build — but vainly build — his bier ! 

Touch it not ! 
Why should the bacchanalian sneer ? 

Touch it not ! 

VII. 

That War's an Evil none denies — 

Touch it not ! 
But other Evils still arise — 

Touch it not ! 
A giant Evil — greater far — 
And bearing half the crimes of War 



18 THE ROLLING STONE. 

I 'J ■ I Ji.- --H 

Whose voice of horror sounds afar ! 

Touch it not ! 
He fights without a scimetar ! 

Touch it not ! 

VIII. 
His breath is like a poison dew — 

Touch it not! 
It blasts the system through and through ! 

Touch it not! 
Since first the Arab set his still 
And taught a blessing how to kill 
Mankind have wrought their bane at will — 

Touch it not ! 
It feeds the Worm but starves the Mill ! 

Touch it not! 

IX. 

And yet a better day will come ! 

Touch it not! 
And Alcohol shall meet his doom ! 

Touch it not ! 
Few tyrants known to him at birth 
Remain to curse the genial Earth — 
Their thrones are now the thrones of Worth ! 

Touch it notl 
So Alcohol shall falter forth ! 
^ Touch it not ! 



19. 



'-^I'flE-t-v/i^EeK-tOF-t-yoiJi'iJ.^ 



ye who gaze upon the wrecks of Time 

And weep for Troy — for Babel — or for Rome ! 

Think ye no victim of the tyrant Time 
Invites the tear of sympathy at home? 

Never did mortal gaze on wreck of Time 
More fitted to inspire a love of Truth — 

Never was greater conquest won by Time 
Than in the ruinous overthrow of Youth ! 
[Feb. 2, 1882-] 



20. THE ROLLING STONE. 



-B^EPIl'£PfI.-§^- 



Once in this clay resided Thought 
And Life with labors overwrought — 
Strong life with thousand sorrows fraught 
Yet having power to hold as naught 
Whatever had been wrongl}^ taught ; 
Here were the thousand battles fought, 
And thousand victories dearly bought ; 
Here beamed the eye that oft hath caught 
Love's fiery glances as it ought — 
But Life withdrew when Fortune brought 
The very boon it long had sought ! 
[April 22, 1883.] 



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